


Rule Four

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Het, Pre Romance but with feeelings, Secrets, Spoilers, spec fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 04:10:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Nick knows something has been bothering Ellie.





	Rule Four

**Author's Note:**

> For February bingo “even with my eyes closed” 
> 
> Speculation for what might happen after the next DiNozzo Senior ep, But no spoilers for that. Spoilers for 16.13, “She”

“So, you want to tell me what’s wrong?” 

Nick says the words so matter of factly that, for a moment, Ellie thinks she’s imagined them. But no, he sits there on her couch, beer in hand after an evening of goat yoga, because why not, and he’s looking at her calmly even as her heart starts to beat out of control. “Nothing’s wrong,” she tries but Nick’s not going to take that for an answer. 

“Something’s been bugging you. I know it has.” Ellie shakes her head, tries to look at him like he’s crazy but he’s way too close to the truth. She thought she hadn’t done too badly with carrying Ziva’s secret around but it had got harder once Senior showed up. Even still, being faced with a walking talking reminder of everything has been difficult, but she hadn’t thought she’d let her face slip so much that anyone would notice. 

Of course, he’s not just anyone. He’s Nick and that’s what he goes on to point out to her as she’s thinking. “C’mon, Ellie, I know you. I can see when you’re not yourself. Even with my eyes closed, I can see it.” He blinks suddenly, like he’s afraid he’s said something he shouldn’t, rolls on with, “It started after the Ziva case and it’s got worse since Senior’s been in town.” Damn, he really does know her. “What happened that has you acting like a spooked rabbit?” 

She shakes her head again, short sharp shakes designed to throw him off the scent. “Nick, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Even to her own ears it sounds weak, and she doubt she would have convinced even little Victoria Palmer. 

Nick’s face is a picture of scepticism. “Right.” He purses his lips. “Look, I know you’re not big on opening up to people and I know you probably don’t want to admit your weaknesses to anyone…” He puts some of that in air quotes, rolls his eyes for good measure. “But something happened. And it’s something big.” Ellie presses her lips together and like a bloodhound sensing weakness, Nick leans in. “Seriously, what’s the worst it could be? It’s not like you found out Ziva faked her death and has been alive all this time and hiding from everybody…” 

His voice trails off, his jaw dropping because as he’s been speaking, Ellie has been staring at him with dawning horror and amazement. By the time a stunned silence fills the air between them, she knows there’s not a jot of colour left on her face, knows she’s staring at him, goggle eyed. He’s staring at her in much the same way. “Shit, Ellie, are you kidding me?” His voice is low, but she can hear the effort he’s expending to keep it that way. 

“How did you-?”

Words fail her and he shakes his head, throws up his hands. “I didn’t! I just picked the craziest telenovela plot line I could think of!” His voice gets louder as he speaks, a tad hysterical even and Ellie doesn’t think twice, she reaches for his beer and hands it to him. He tips back a long swallow and Ellie reaches for her own and does likewise. 

He ends up draining his but she doesn’t think of offering him another, any more than he seems to think of asking for one. “OK,” he says after another moment where he just stares at her. “Talk to me.” 

She’s not sure if it’s an order or a plea but she opens her mouth and the words spill out. The notebook, the letter, her desire to fulfil Ziva’s unfinished wish. Finding the page torn out, the mysterious woman, the note she’d found in Ziva’s office. By the time she was finished, Nick’s elbows were on his knees, his hands over his lips and she was rethinking that offer of beer. 

“Do you think Tony knows?” is his first question and Ellie shakes her head. 

“I don’t see how he can… his face when he saw Tali, whenever he talked about Ziva… and Tony’s such a heart on his sleeve guy…” Memories of Tony and the way he looked at Tali flash through her mind. “And Tali, she’s just a kid, she’s too young to keep a secret like that…” 

Nick frowns as if something has just occurred to him. “And you buy Ziva staying away from her kid like that?” 

Ellie has been thinking about that too, hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since she saw that note. “She stayed away from Tony for two years because she thought it was the right thing to do. If it meant keeping him safe… keeping her daughter safe… I could do it.” 

Running his hand over his face, Nick nods. “That makes sense.” He doesn’t sound happy about it. “What about Senior?” She gives him a look; he holds up his hands. “Forget I asked… he’s not built for discretion.” He says it with a grin that makes it clear it’s not a criticism. 

Ellie grins back at him but only for a moment. Then the weight of the secret, as it so often has this week, bears down on her with a vengeance. It tightens her throat, has tears pricking at the back of her eyes and when Nick sees that, he looks stricken. “I just feel like I’ve been lying to everyone… Gibbs, Tim, Senior… you…”

“Hey.” Nick’s hand moves like he’s going to reach out towards her, but then it’s like he visibly catches himself and brings it back to his knee. “They would understand, Ellie. You know they would.” 

“Would they?” 

His answer surprises her. “Rule Four.” 

It takes a second, but then she gets it. “If you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. The second-best is to tell one other person if you must. There is no third best.” 

He lifts one shoulder up and down in a shrug. “I’m not used to being second best,” he says. “But I guess I can make an exception.”

All Ellie can do at that is laugh. Well, laugh and throw herself into his arms. He catches her with an “oof” and then a laugh of his own, his arms going tight around her and just like that, Ellie feels better than she has in weeks.


End file.
